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Exploration potential of southern India

Vol 4, PW 23 (20 Dec 00) Exploration & Production

Rarely does an "Annual Report" from an ONGC region have much to boast of.

Unless off course it is the Southern Regional Business Centre in Chennai. In its 'Annual Report 1999-2000', officials responsible for the Krishna Godavari and Cauvery Projects, which come under the ONGC (south) umbrella, give an impressive list of "Highlights" and "Achievements" with no parallel in other ONGC regions.

For a company that prides itself on achieving and surpassing "Targets", the report boasts that, "SRBC overachieved all MoU and non-MoU targets in the areas of drilling, crude oil production, gas sales, seismic survey and reserve accretion." Not only that, but it did so, "ahead of schedule." We learn for example, that there were two significant gas strikes last year at "Lakshmaneswaram and Srikalapatt"; that "out of 42 wells tested, 27 were completed as hydrocarbon bearing; that "fifteen new wells - 5 in Cauvery and 10 in Krishna Godavari - were put on production during the year. that "the region achieved the highest crude oil production and gas sales since inception of the region.

and that from 25th January 2000, a company called SEDCO started to buy gas direct from ONGC to generate power. More, "there was no fatal accident in the fourth consecutive year".

So where's the sting Of the Rs1,483.64 ($326m) generated, more than half, Rs869.32 ($191m) came from Ravva and Py-3. Should anyone have forgotten, neither are operated by ONGC.